South Los Angeles Urban Community Greening Project https://grants.dudleytdoughertyfoundation.org/proposals-2020/south-los-angeles-urban-community-greening-project https://grants.dudleytdoughertyfoundation.org/@@site-logo/sitelogo-75x75.png

South Los Angeles Urban Community Greening Project

Additional Information
Used for	It is our goal to plant 1,000 trees over the next 3 years which eventually creates a green network across south LA; California Greenworks, Inc. locates tree barren neighborhoods across south Los Angeles and creates individualized projects to clean up, plant, and maintain green corridors. Dudley T Dougherty Foundation funding would support our community driven initiatives across Council Districts 8,9, and 10. Specific dollars would go towards 1. planting additional trees along tree-deficit corridors 2: maintaining the areas, water, mulch, and clearing the green network of any trash; 3. Program management for continual maintenance which abides by COVID19 safety precautions
Benefits	Tree canopy is directly related to the quality of air we breathe; a single tree purifies 48 pounds of pollution out of the air. With COVID19 positive cases increasing, CGWs seeks to continue increasing tree canopy in tree deficit neighborhoods which we believe will have multi benefits which offset housing utility costs and provide access to cleaner air. Our projects increase access to healthy green spaces; CD8 has 0.53 acres per 1,000 residents, CD9 has 0.33 and CD10 has 0.57, while the average for LA County is 8.10 acres.
Proposal Description	California Greenworks, Inc. recognizes that many underserved and low-income communities are disproportionately exposed to a wide array of environmental pollutants and toxins. Residents living in neighborhoods with high levels of pollution are at an increased risk for developing respiratory diseases, such as, but not limited to, asthma and cardiovascular diseases. Tree canopy is directly linked to the quality of air we breathe. Here in south LA, trees are not as prevalent as in other parts of Los Angeles, which has inspired California Greenworks, Inc. to curate projects which seek to fill this gap. CGW will implement the South Los Angeles Urban Community Greening and Forestry Project over the next 3 years. We strive to plant 1,000 trees, which roughly breaks down to 334 trees planted per year. We will locate tree barren neighborhoods across south Los Angeles and create individualized projects to clean up, plant, and maintain the green corridors, which we hope to have eventually link, creating a larger green network. We have planted the first 33 trees starting along 2nd-8th and Hyde Park, and we will plant the next 76 trees on January 18 2021. We have begun the process to begin planting along a strip on La Brea which would provide 97 trees and life maintenance. We primarily serve LA Council Districts 8,9, and 10; our districts on average have less than 2% tree canopy. According to the County of LA Public Health, CD8's Healthy Places Index (HPI) scores in the 2nd percentile; CD9 scores in the 0th percentile, and CD10 scores in the 22nd percentile. These numbers are calculated through 25 community characteristics, including environmental, economic, and social conditions.Being that wealth is the strongest factor that influences health, we provide trees and maintenance at no cost to the communities we serve. 29% of people in CD8 are living below 100% the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) and 55% are below 200% FPL; in CD9 39% are living below 100% FPL and 70% are below 200% FPL; and 23% of CD10 is living below 100% FPL and 48% is below 200% FPL. Our projects also seek to restore animal habitats, especially migratory birds, which at least 1500 species have been impacted due to increased urbanization. Between 2001 and 2011, california sacrificed 784 square miles of natural landscape to human industry. Damage can be reversed to native habitats. Specific funding will go toward purchasing native vegetation to the area. This includes trees and materials which are required to plant and obtain permits. Funding will go towards maintaining the green corridors. We will create a water schedule. We will also clean up and clear away any trash or items dumped at the sites. As dumping is a consistent issue, we will provide weekly maintenance. Funding will also be designated for providing program management for the green corridors locating, planting, and maintenance schedules.